What kind of meals are served?CACFP facilities follow the meal patterns established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Breakfast requires a serving of milk, vegetable or fruit and a grain product.

Lunch and dinner consist of milk, bread or grain product, meat or meat alternate, and a serving of vegetable and a different vegetable/or fruit.

Snacks include servings from two of the five components: milk, vegetables, fruits, bread or grain product, or meat or meat alternate.

Who is eligible for CACFP meals?

Children age 12 and under

Migrant children age 15 and younger

Youths through age 18 in the Area Eligible Snack Program and in emergency shelters

Functionally impaired children through age 18 in child care centers or day care homes.

Functionally impaired adult participants or adults age 60 and older enrolled in an adult day care center

What types of Facilities are eligible to participate?Many different facilities operate the CACFP, all sharing the common goal of providing nutritious meals and snacks to participants.

Child care centers serving meals and snacks to children who are enrolled for care

Head Start Programs serving meals and snacks to enrolled children

After school care sites providing programming and snacks for low-income school age children and youth.

Emergency shelters providing temporary residence and food service to children

Adult day care centers providing structured, comprehensive services to nonresident adults who are functionally impaired and/or 60 years of age or older

Licensed family or group day care homes participating under a sponsoring organization.

What is required to participate?To be eligible to participate in the CACFP a center must:

Be a public entity, or

Have tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or

Meet the requirements for a for-profit center. For-profit child care centers are eligible if 25% or more of enrolled participants or 25% of the licensed capacity are receiving child care subsidies or are low-income children. For-profit adult day care centers are eligible if the center meets the 25% rule with Medicaid beneficiaries.

In addition, a child care center must be licensed by the State of Idaho Department of Health and Welfare or local jurisdictions. An adult care center must be licensed appropriately for the care of non-residential adults. Emergency shelters and domestic violence shelters must have health and safety inspection certificates.To be eligible to participate in the CACFP, a day care home must be licensed by State of Idaho Department of Health and Welfare or local jurisdictions and sign a provider agreement with a sponsoring organization.

Contact us for more information in the Child and Adult Care Food Program